Washington Post: Trump administration threatens to cut aid to Israel if it does not stop the war on Gaza

The Washington Post, citing a well-informed White House source, reported Monday evening that the Trump administration had issued an explicit warning to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that "if he does not end the war in Gaza, the United States may abandon its support for Israel."

The source, who requested anonymity, said, "Netanyahu has the ability to stop the war, but he doesn't want to do so politically." He added that the US administration now believes that continuing military operations weakens its position and could lead to a deterioration in relations. The source said that US pressure on Israel has escalated in recent days.

In this context, sources within the US administration revealed to the Israeli website Walla that US Vice President J.D. Vance had intended to visit Israel on Tuesday, but canceled his plan due to the escalation of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

In a related development, Netanyahu decided to keep the Israeli negotiating delegation in Qatar for an additional day, at this stage, according to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan 11). The channel quoted a senior Israeli official as saying, "The delegation remained a formality, to avoid embarrassing the Americans. It doesn't seem good to return the delegation while Hamas is still present there."

The channel noted that the possibility of reaching a deal remains, but is slim, and that no real progress has been recorded so far in negotiations aimed at reaching a prisoner exchange deal and a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

For her part, White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt stated that the Trump administration "continues to engage with all parties involved in the conflict in the Gaza Strip these days," following talks between Washington and Hamas that led to the release of Israeli soldier Idan Alexander.

She added, "President Trump wants to end the war in Gaza," noting that Trump "continues, personally, to communicate with the relevant parties and has made it clear to Hamas that he wants to see all prisoners released."

Last week, Hamas released soldier Idan Alexander following direct contacts with the Trump administration. The movement stated at the time that the release was part of "steps being taken" to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

In Israel, there was a state of shock following the revelation of the Trump administration's direct talks with Hamas, initiated by the US president's envoy for prisoner affairs, Adam Boehler.

Under pressure from the US administration, particularly Trump, Israel allowed the resumption of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip as of today. For the first time in months, five to nine UN trucks entered the Strip after undergoing "strict security screening."

Netanyahu and a number of his ministers had reiterated a firm position in recent weeks that "as long as Hamas holds prisoners, no humanitarian aid will be allowed into Gaza." However, in recent hours, this policy has changed under intense American pressure.